We did catch the neighbor kid swinging his keys around one night and said, "they got their f**n dog out." That agitated her, but my husband thinks they do things in their house and only our dog can hear it. It's only this particular neighbor she seems agitated about. Even when they aren't out, she is fixated on their house. No its not when we are heading home, but she does take off and bolts toward the house when we are on our way home and the house is in view.

Perhaps the pup is seeing your husband's fixation with this house and is then sharing his paranoia? I'm not sure how this is related to the arm work outs.

Good questions middleofnowhere . We will look at that. Maybe we should have a friend walk her and see if she is the same with them and try walking her somewhere else too. There are a lot of dogs in our neighborhood, but I don't think that's what it is. She usually just barks at them and stands her ground. I did video tape taking her out to the bathroom and sent it to my trainer. Its hard to tape it though while you are being mulled. I think she needs to see a behavioralis myself.

I think this is a big game for her. Does she get exercise other than leash walks? I suspect she has no outlet for her drives and redirects her frustrations onto you. What do you do when she clamps on to your arms? Make a big deal and try to get her off? She probably thinks this is the funnest game of tug ever.

Do you play tug with her? Teach her that the proper thing bite when she wants to play with you is a tug. Bring one on walks, get her to carry it. She can't bite you if she is carrying something. Grab the tug handle when she is carrying it and start to play - she will learn that carrying the tug is part of the play.

I'm concerned that she is only six months old, and she 'used' to be on a prong and an electric collar for control. I think you and your husband will need some training and coaching on how to interact with her, how to play tug with her in a positive, rewarding way, how to redirect to toys, how to act so to NOT reward her biting your arms, and you will need some activities for her that will give her appropriate outlets for her drives and energies.

My rescue used to have no self-control, and would get into spastic modes of jumping on me, grabbing my jacket and clothing, and pulling like a maniac while growling up a storm. The more I tried to beat her off me, the more hyper and spastic she got. This kind of behavior was completely new to me, and honestly, it scared me.

Since the more forceful I tried to be with her, the more riled up she became, I changed tactics completely. When she started this, I completely went limp, shut my eyes, turned my head, withdrew my energy to within, completely disengaged in every way. It took a few times, but it worked. Completely confused her, and was not the reaction she was looking for.

I waited for her to let go, and get off me, and then slowly and calmly I came back to her presence and praised for her. The first few times I so much as opened my eyes and looked at her, she saw it as "GAME ON!" and would start up again. So disengage I would, mentally, emotionally, and wait her out. It took four, five times before she didn't try to start up the game and we could actually walk on. If I saw the look in her eyes that she was thinking of jumping up and grabbing clothing trying to start a new wrestling match, I would again stop, look away, close my eyes, go limp, withdraw my energy - it worked miracles! But had to be consisten.

Another thing you need to do is find a Schutzhund/IPO/working dog trainer who can show you how to play tug properly, and show you how to work to control her. Giving treats for this kind of over-the-top drivey behavior and no-self control won't cut it. Forget the harness - stupidest thing ever on a dog this size. Go back to a prong, or at least a martingale if you are against the prong.

Hard part is going to have to convince your husband, but he should acknowledge that what you have been doing isn't working, and it's time to change things up 180 degrees.

So to recap:

- Ditch the harness, get a collar.
- Get this dog to play tug with a proper tug. Bring said tug on walks, stuff in mouth.
- If dog grabs arms and won't let go - completely disengage your energy until you are an absent, lifeless wet noodle that completely shuts out your pup. I bet that is NOT what she is expecting as a reaction - she is expecting you guys to make a big deal of her on your arm, and whooo - what a fun game!!!

- Find a trainer of working dogs that understands high-drives, redirecting to a tug, and work with said trainer. Treats re-enforce behaviours you want. Some behaviours are so self-rewarding, that extinguishing them takes a lot of skill. You will have to learn how to redirect to something else (tugging with a TOY - not your arms), and how to take away the reward (as in going limp and refusing to play her game).

This puppy NEEDS proper outlets for her energies and drives. Get involved in activities galore and find ways to exercise her little heart out that is more demanding mentally and physically than leash walks.

If you wonder what else I did with my rescue, I got her into obedience classes, intro to agility, tracking class, then I went on to Schutzhund with her.

The more we did, the better behaved and easier to live with she became.

She will be really good until we get far from our house and out of nowhere she will jump up at us and clench her jaws around our arm like in shutzhund and not let go. this is what you said.

I don't believe the neighbour has anything to do with this , because you are the target and only when some distance from the house.

Is the distance the same each time.

Where in the "treat sequence" are you when this happens. Is she pushing you for treats ?

this might not be popular with anyone - and so be it -- but I think a dog intimidating its owners with aggression needs to be fixed immediately and permanently. NO mouthing - at all , end of story.

I would have zero treats. I think some dogs are spoiled , treated to death. Have protests and tantrums or shut downs when the treat is not coming . They want to raise the ante . Some things in life you do because the have to be done. Using kids as an example , there are household chores which are shared for the common good . No payment - specifically. No strikes allowed and no catering on your part.

Get the dog out of the harness - useless . Get a proper fit collar , worn in the right spot, either chain (herm sprenger or other good quality) or pinch collar and be prepared to give a lightning fast stern correction , and then immediately forget / forgive and carry on matter of fact in a determined way to where YOU want to go.

More obedience on the walk .

Shorten the walk at first. End on a successful note.
Come home and put the dog in the kennel or the crate and walk away . No coddling.

Doggy needs to learn respect . You need to earn respect .

treats and asking -- not at the moment -- first you command --

funny that this came up because I read about a super schutzhund dog from the perspective of 3 people --- but that could be another thread !

Does she just bite you, or does she try to pull you back in the direction of home. i only asked because my dog when a pup has grabbed my arm to pull me another direction when its getting dark and he wanted me to hurry up. (or maybe since she goes home when he bites you , this has become routine and this is her way of getting you to go home)

Sounds like youve been through this before. Is there a reason your dog bites you?

I've had two GSDs. It only happened once with each. No more after the first "treatment". I guess it was memorable.

As for the reason, handler aggression, I suppose. Both became perfect little Gentlemen after a while, though.

I am lucky about something, though. I reserve the term BAD DOG for instances of especially dangerous or harmful behavior by the dogs. I issue that phrase at very high and, to the dogs, perhaps startling volume. And, quick and stinging corrections follow.

It's gotten to the point that I only have to use the phrase infrequently now, perhaps once a month.

He did this one time on a trail, we were getting back late and he heard a coyote. He was about 6 or 7 months. he was ahead of me playing on the trail but came back to me grabbed my arm and tried to get me to run all the way to the car. I should add ever since then, if he wants to get me somewhere for example to show me he wants water in his bowl, he will grab my arm in his mouth and take me over there. If I tell him to leave it, he does.

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